Music rack



Dec. 17, 1940. R. E'. BYRNE 2,225,548

By @Mmm Attorney Dec'. 17, 1940.'

R. E. BYRNE 2,225,548

MUSIC RACK Filed May 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,l Inventor /l A omey Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in music racks and more particularly to music leaf turning devices therefor.

The primary object of my invention is to equip the standard type of musicI rack, inexpensively, with means for turning a leaf of music whereby use of the hands in this operation is obviated and a musician enabled to keep both hands on the instrument being played.

Another object is to equip a music rack of the extension and folding type with means for turning a leaf of music and which may be easily attached to such a rack without necessitating alteration in the basic structure thereof.

To the accomplishment of the above, and sub,- ordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeeding description and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of amusic rack equipped according to my invention,

Figure 2 is a View in side elevation,

5 Figure 3 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and drawn to an enlarged scale, and

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a View in vertical sectiontaken 'in the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my invention has been shown therein as applied to a well-known type of music rack comprising a standard formed of a plurality of telescopic, tubular sections, I, 2 and 3 endwise adjustable relatively to increase or diminish the height of the standard and adapted to be locked in adjusted position by pivoted friction latches 4 on the sections, and which being of usual and well-known form need merely be identified in passing. The lower section I is supported by legs 5 pivoted, as at 6, to a collar 1 thereon for adjustment into different inclined positions and for folding alongi side said lower sections I. Links 8, pivoted, as at 9, to the legs 5 and, as at I0, to a sliding sleeve Il on said section I, and a pivoted friction latch I2 on said sleeve provide for locking the legs in desired positions. The upper section 3 has secured thereto the usual upwardly and rearwardly inclined music supporting frame I3 comprising an upright center bar I4, a pair of ledge-forming bottom bars I5 extending from the lower end of said bar I4, upright side bars I6, upper pairs of 5 toggle links I1, and a pair of cross bars I8. The

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bars I5, I8 and toggle links I1 are pivoted to the bar I4, as at I9, 20, 2I, the bars I8 and links I1 to the bar I6, as at 22, and the bars I6 to bars I5, as at 23, all in a manner such that the frame may be folded up with said links and bars extending 5 alongside the bar I4, or, unfolded into normal position. Such music rack frames being well-known in the art need not be further described.

According to my invention, a clamp 24, similar to the usual paper clip, is provided for attachment to the upper edge of a page of music, not shown, to be turned, said clamp being slidably mounted, in any suitable manner, on a sheetturning rod mounted, as presently explained, to extend along the top of the page slightly above the same and for swinging movement from right to left, or vice versa. For swinging said rod, an operating shaft 26 of rod-like material is rotatably mounted in upstanding position in front of the bar I4. The mounting for the operating shaft 26 comprises a pair of upper and lower clamps 21, 28, in which the upper and lower ends of said shaft are journalled to extend above and below the same, respectively, said clamps being constructed and secured to said bar I4 as follows.

The upper clamp 21 is of elongated skeleton form and bar metal and has a lower yoke-like end 29 adapted to t over the upper end of the bar I4 so that said clamp extends upwardly from said bar in front thereof, the upper end of said clamp terminating in a forwardly extending bearing lug 30 for the shaft 26. A set screw 3| detachably secures the lower end 29 of clamp 21 to the bar I4. The lower clamp 28 comprises an L-shaped part 32 fitting around the lower end of the bar I4 and extending forwardly therefrom, said part having a suitalbe notch therein, not shown, to accommodate the upper section 3, and being attached to the bar I4 by a cross strap 33 integral therewith and secured thereto by bolt 34. I

The sheet turning rod 25 is detachably connected to the operating shaft 26 as follows. A crank arm 35 is suitably mounted on the upper part of the shaft 26, asl by hub 26 thereon, for vertical adjustment on said shaft, said crank arm having a down-turned outer end through which the inner end of the rod 25 is extended and detachably secured to the inner end of said arm bya suitable coupling 31 and a stud 38 threaded into hub 26' against the shaft 26 to secure said arm 35 to the latter. The outer end of the rod 25 has a hand grip 39 thereon for grasping to detach the rod. A set collar on the upper end of the shaft 26 prevents said shaft from sliding down in the lug 30.

Means for oscillating the shaft 26 are provided Which are operative by the foot of the player and now to be described. Extending along one leg 5 and suitably secured thereto by detachable split ring clamps 4l is a guide tube 42 having a lower out-turned angular end 43 for location adjacent the floor and to which is suitably secured a bearing bracket 44 of inverted U-shape adapted to rest upon the floor. Suitably journalled in the upper part of said bracket 44 is an operating Wheel 45 of the solid rubber tire type designed to be rotated by the foot of the player and having a hub part 46. A Bowden wire 49 is loosely extended through the guide tube 42y for rotation therein and with one end suitably fixed in the hub 46 of wheel 45 for rotation of said Wire by the latter. The other end of the wire 49 is fixed to the lower end of a squared shaft 50 vertically disposed in front of standard and by means of a socket 5l on said shaft and a set screw 52 extending into said socket. Shaft 50 is endwise slidable in the lower portion of a vertically disposed sleeve 53 having a bore squared as at 54. A short length of ilexible wire 55 is xed at its opposite ends in the upper end of sleeve 53 and a socket 56 on the lower end of shaft 26, respectively, said sleeve and socket having set screws 51, 58 therein for securing said wire thereto. The squared shaft 50 is rotatably mounted at its lower end in a split ring clamp 59 on the lower end of section l of the standard and the sleeve 53 is rotatably and slidably mounted at its upper end in a similar clamp 60 on the upper end of said section I.

As will be manifest, the described shaft 5U and sleeve 53 form a telescopic splined connection between wire 49 and wire 55 whereby the sections I, 2, 3 of the standard may be adjusted as desired. A collar 6l xed to shaft 5U above the clamp 59 together with the socket 5I block vertical movement of said shaft so that the sleeve 53 is the slidable member of the telescopic connection.

The operation of the described music leafturning device will be readily undertsood. The clamp 24 being attached to the page, desired to be turned, rotation of wheel 45 in the proper direction will impart similar movement to the wire 49, shaft 56, sleeve 53 and wire 55 to rotate shaft 26 and thereby swing the arm 25 so as to effect turning of the page. By loosening the stud 38 and adjusting the crank arm 35 on the shaft 26, the height of the rod 25 may be varied in accordance with the height of the page to which it is desired to secure the clamp 24.

The manner in which the device may be detached from the stand will be under'tsood from the description of the manner in which the parts are attached thereto.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suflice to impart a clear understanding of my invention Without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. In a music rack including an extensible standard, legs for supporting said standard on the oor, and a music supporting frame upstanding from the top of the standard and for holding leaves of music to be turned, leaf turning means comprising an upstanding rock shaft journaled on said frame, a leaf turning rod fixed at one end to the upper end of said shaft to extend laterally therefrom over the upper edge of a leaf to be turned, and for swinging movement in opposite directions under rocking of said shaft in opposite directions, respectively, means on said rod to detachably attach the same to said upper edge of said leaf, and means to rock said shaft comprising a bracket adapted to rest upon the floor, a wheel rotatably mounted in said bracket' for operation by the foot of a player, and operating connections between said wheel and the lower end of said shaft, said last means comprising a pair of flexible shaft sections connected to said wheel and said lower end of the rock shaft, respectively', and a telescopic spline connection between said flexible shaft sections rotatably mounted on said standard.

2. In a music rack including an extensible standard, legs for supporting said standard on the floor, and a music supporting frame upstanding from the top of the standard and for holding leaves of music to be turned, leaf turning means comprising an upstanding rock shaft journaled on said frame, a leaf turning rod fixed at one end to the upper end of said shaft to extend laterally therefrom over `the upper edge of a leaf to be turned, and for swinging movement in opposite directions under rocking of said shaft in opposite directions, respectively, means on said rod to detachably attach the same to said upper edge of said leaf, and means to rock said shaft comprising a bracket adapted to rest upon the floor, a Wheel rotatably mounted in said bracket for operation by the foot of a player, and operating connections between said Wheel and the lower end of said shaft, said last means comprising a pair of flexible shaft sections connected to said Wheel and the lower end of said rock shaft, respectively, a telescopic spline connection between said shaft sections rotatably mounted on said standard, and a tubular guide member on one of said legs through which one iiexible shaft section extends.

ROBERT E. BYRNE. 

